Okay, it’s laundry day, but are my socks trying to tell me something?

My Grandma had a heart attack about four weeks ago, and was lucky enough to call 911 after not feeling well and they necessitated her. If they hadn’t, well, who knows. Or, as Arthur put it as he walked in to see her in the hospital, “It would have been curtains for you.” Haha. Mum and Grandma and I went for a walk with her the other day and I brought my Hasselblad along, I hadn’t used it in a while and if I had my own scanner I would probably shoot a lot more with it. Anyways, thank god she’s still around or else I’d have one less person in the world constantly calling me a brat. (Which is totally untrue and unfounded) :)  She is definitely one of the sources of mischievous nature.

Here is what I thought to be one of the best presentations at Eddie Adams this year. Platon was a hilarious down-to-earth guy with that British wit, you couldn’t help but laugh your way through his talk.
Audio from Vincent Laforet’s blog at http://blog.vincentlaforet.com/
Platons website: http://www.platonphoto.com/

Some days, you just have to go shoot photos for yourself, for the fun of it.  
Man and his dog, Jericho Beach.

A cool multimedia piece done by the New York Times which gives a very good overview of the recent presidential election in the USA.

http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/politics/2008-election-overview/ 

What didn’t surprise me was seeing Zach Wise’s name in the list of credits, he has moved on to the NYT from the Las Vegas Sun, where he was working when we brought him in as a speaker at Photojournalism 2008 in Vancouver.  A really talented guy.

A couple of my fav stills shooting the beautiful ladies down at Beauty Night on the Downtown Eastside tonight. I am shooting video and stills in order to put together a multimedia production for the non-profit organization. To find out more, go here.

I wonder how these kids from the streets of Goma are doing. 5.4 Million people killed in Congo in the last 20 years, and really no immediate end in sight.  It’s the average Congolese person who is trying to live their life and has had any chance of doing that taken away by a government awash with corruption and inaction.  For a great multimedia production on Congo, I encourage all to watch Congo: Rape of a Nation by Marcus Bleasdale.

Although my eyes are glazing over from spending so much time in front of my laptop screen editing my footage from Rwanda, my short documentary piece is starting to come together and I am smiling and laughing while looking at the footage of the kids. It is really cool to have the footage and be able to be right back there and see the smiles on their faces. When I was there I was too into the moment of teaching and talking and filming to pick up on the minute details of the situation at the time, and the video I shot really makes me appreciate having it, if for no reason other than as a personal memento.

I am now freelancing in Vancouver while continueing to edit my work from Africa and line up more in-depth projects in BC. Here is a shot from an assignment Monday to photograph Arthur Griffiths, who is the Liberal candidate in the Vancouver-Burrard provincial by-election, being held today.

Vancouver businessman Arthur Griffiths, former owner of the Canucks and Grizzlies is trading the luxury box for the ballot box. Brett Beadle for National Post

Well, I am back in Vancouver, and it’s been quite lovely since I’ve been back. I’ve got the insurance on the motorcycle, been working on some future stories as well as editing my work from Rwanda, and things are coming along. I am waiting for the ugly Vancouver winter to hit, but until then, I am really enjoying being back home.

Wreck Beach 1

Wreck Beach 2

The Chief Peak Three - Squamish